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(No Model.)

0. D. TISDALE. ELEGTRIGAL FIRE ALARM SYSTEM.

N5 555,055. Patented Aug. 4, 1896.

WITNEEEEE %M 9. K/WZKOZQ, MLQW y? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES D. TISDALE, OF BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO JOHN D. GOULD, OF BROOKLYN, NE\V YORK, AND CHARLES A. HANSON, OF EAST ORANGE, NE\V JERSEY.

ELECTRICAL FIRE-ALARM SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 565,053, dated August 4:, 1896.

Application filed August 27, 1895- Serial No. 560,6 84. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

I Be it known that I, CHARLES D. TISDALE, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new 5 and useful Improvements in ElectricalFire- Alarm Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, cheap, and efficient auto- 1 o matic electrical fire-alarm system for use more particularly in apartment-houses, dwellings, buildings, &c., although applicable as well to stores, warehouses, factories, 85c. and the invention consists of two wires or other electric I 5 conductors, one of which is made of any suitable fusible material that will fuse at the desired degree of heat, the two wires or conductors being located and extending or running side by side or close to each other, but not in contact with each other, and insulated from each other, around the room or building, as desired, an open electric circuit, and a sounding device, all constructed and arranged for op eration substantially as hereinafter fully 2 5 described; and the invention also consists of an electric conductor or cable or wire for use in the present system of an electric fire-alarm constructed and arranged for operation, all substantially as hereinafter fully described, reference being had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which is illustrated the present invention. 7

Figure 1 represents the sides of a room or building with the walls, ceiling, and flooring in vertical section with this invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the conductor or cable or wires, and Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same.

- In the drawings, A, B, and C represent the .0 side walls of a room or building, two, B C, of which are in vertical section; D and E, the floor and ceiling, respectively, in crosssection, and F the mop-board, all of which is as usual in the construction of a room or building.

G is an electric wire made of a metal or a metal compound that will fuse at any desired heat, and it is preferably covered with an insulatin g material H along its length, which can be of paper or of any suitable insulating material. J is another electric wire which can be of the usual material and is a plain bare wire. It is not intended to be fusible, and this wire J, as shown, is wound around the outside of the insulated material H on the fusible wire,preferably throughout the length of the wire G, substantially as shown,to have it close to the fusible wire and also as a means of support for the wire J. Over the insulating material H and the electric wire J is placed another coating K of insulating material, which makes a cover to the whole and insulates the wire J from any outside matter. These two wires thus combined together, but insulated from each other by the insulated material on the fusible wire, and also from outside contact, extend substantially as one from a point at L on the wall A, close to the wall B, down and then along the mop-board E and up a short distance on the wallA close to the wall C, being secured at intervals by staples M or in any suitable manner. These two wires are connected to an electric battery N, magnet P, and electric bell Q in the following manner:

A wire a is connected to the end of the fusible wire G, which runs to and connects with one pole of the electric battery N. From the other pole of the electric battery a wire 1) extends to and connects with the electric bell Q, and from the bell a wire 6 runs to and connects with the magnet P, and a wire f connects the magnet with the wire J, wound upon the insulated fusible wire.

R is an armature for the electromagnet, pivoted at S to swing up and down and to rest by its free end t upon ablock T, secured to a support, but which block is of insulated material or insulated in any suitable manner. From the armature R runs a wire g, which 0 connects with the wire a, connecting the battery and fusible wire G. A short distance above the free end of the armature is a metal block U, secured to the wall or support,which is connected by an electric wire it with the 5 wire f, connecting the electromagnet and the wire J.

As shown, the device is in position for operation and action, and if a lire occurs in any part of the room or building where the fusible 10o wire and other wire are located both coatings or coverings of the insulating material will melt and the fusible wire at such place quickly becomes heated, and at the temperature determined melts and runs down onto or connects with the wire J, which makes the electric circuit with the battery and magnet and bell through these wires G and J and connectin g wires to, Z), c, and f, sounding the bell, also causing the magnet to attract the armature R, which moves up to, and its end tthen rests and bears upon or against the block U, when another or shorter electric circuit is made, independent of the fusible-wire circuit, through the block T, wire h, wire f, magnet P, wire 6, bell, wire 1), battery, wire a, and wire g to armature, to block U, completing the circuit, the magnet holding the armature in such contact and causing the bell to continue to sound as long as the battery lasts or some person comes who has been warned by the sounding of the bell.

In practical use the combined wires can be run around the room at any and all places desired at any desired height, along the mopboard, up at the sides, along the ceiling, cornices, into closets and other small places, &c., but both wires should be continuous and the wire J should be wound throughout the length of the wire G.

The electrical apparatus can be placed in another room or in any part of the building, or the bell can be placed outside of the building, as desired, but the fusible wire and electric wire should be connected electrically with the magnet and bell at all. times, but leaving the circuit open by the non-contact of the wires G J.

The fusible wire can be of any size, although it is preferable to have it small, and of a metal or compound to fuse at any desired or very low degree of heat. These wires being small, as is evident, can be laid easily and conveniently in most all places about the room or building, it being necessary, however, to keep the two wires electrically continuous, and each have one of its ends connected with the electric circuit, and close together, so that when the fusible wire melts and runs down it will surely come in contact with the other wire to make the electric circuit and sound the bell, as described.

The great advantage of this system of electric fire-alarm is that the fusible wire and other wire can extend around the room or building indefinitely and into all places connected therewith, making what may be called a continuous fusible open electric circuit, so that the instant a flame or extreme and dangerous heat touches or warms up any part of the continuous fusible wire it will melt, run down, and make contact with the electric wire J, making the electric circuit and sounding the alarm. This extensive use and arrangement of the fusible wire and electric wire in a room or other place not only insure that an alarm will be given immediately at the start of the fire, but at all places in the room or building before it spreads and becomes dangerous or of any magnitude, as is obvious, and this is veryimportant. As these wires can be made at a very small cost it makes a very cheap device, and also its cheapness adds to its effectiveness, in that plenty of the wire can be used, and thus every place, corner, &c., in the room or building be protected by it.

In lieu of winding the plain or bare wire J upon the insulating material II on the fusible wire G it can run or lie alongside of the same, and then be covered with the outer coating of insulating material.

The electric circuit is maintained by the short circuit through the armature, as described, insuring the continuous sounding of the alarm, even if the electric circuit between the comlucting-wires should become broken from any cause.

The magnet and armature and its electric circuit can be dispensed with, depending upon the electric circuit made by the contact of the wires G J, after the fusing of the wire G, for the continuous sounding of the bell or alarm, but it is preferable to use the magnet and armature with its short circuit, as in practical use the electrical apparatus will preferably be placed in some room independent of or some distance from the room or building pre pared with the conductingvircs, so that the fire will have no effect on this electric circuit to interfere with its working to continue to sound the alarm until the parties are warned of the lire.

Any suitable sounding device can be used, as desired.

It is necessary that both of the insulating materials should be of a substance or sul stances that will melt or burn or dissolve at a temperature at least as low as that at which it is desired the fusible wire shall be affected by the heat of the fire, and preferably they might be acted upon at a lower temperature to insure that the heat of the fire shall reach the fusible wire or conductor, to soften and melt it for the proper operation of this system.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In an electric fire-alarm, the combination of two wires or conductors, one of which is fusible at a low temperature, an insulating material surrounding said fusible wire, the other wire wound on said insulating material, an outer covering of insulating material surrounding the whole, both of coverings being readily destroyed by heat, one of said wires being connected with one pole of an electric battery and the other wire connected to the other pole thereof and-a bell or other sounding device located in the battery-circuit, substantially as described.

2. In an electric fire-alarm, the combination of two wires or conductors, one of which is fusible at a low temperature, an insulating material surrounding said fusible wire, the

said insulating other wire being arranged in contact with said insulating material, an outer covering of insulating material surrounding the whole, both of said insulating-coverings being readily destroyed by heat, one of said wires being connected with one pole of an electric battery and the other wire connected to the other pole thereof, and a bell or other sounding device located in the battery-circuit, substantially as described.

3. A compound conductor for electric firealarms, consisting of a core-wire of metal f usible at a low temperature, an insulating ma 

